Alan Hely Dead At 80

July 30, 2007 at 5:45 AM (PT)

ALAN HELY, "the grandfather of the AUSTRALIAN music industry" has died. HELY who passed away on WEDNESDAY, following a brief illness a few months after his 80th birthday, managed FESTIVAL RECORDS during its heyday between the late 1960s and the 1990s.

FESTIVAL was a champion of AUSTRALIAN music and HELY fostered the success of OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN, THE BEE GEES, SPLIT ENZ and PAUL KELLY. Working under RUPERT MURDOCH, who bought FESTIVAL in 1960, HELY maintained almost total autonomy -- even knocking back buyout offers for the company. "ALAN HELY was a warm, generous and witty man, and a dear friend," said MURDOCH.